A Time for Everything
by Terpischore the Whirler
Summary: Marron leaves to attend college in Europe, and everything begins to change for all of her and her friends once she returns.


Chapter !  
  
Trunks looked at the stacks of paper and office files on his desk. He  
moved his head to the right to look and one tower of papers, and then  
slowly moved his head to the left to look at a higher stack of files.  
Trunks sunk into his top of the line office chair, loosened his tie,  
and sighed. "I hate this," he whispered to himself.  
  
"Come on Trunks! It can't be all that bad." A lanky blonde crossed  
her arms and leaned against the door frame of his office. "Do you  
know how many people would kill to have your job? Not everyone can be  
the President of a corporation at twenty-five."  
  
"You didn't hear what I just said did you?" Trunks asked.  
  
Marron tapped her ear, "Enhanced hearing is a benefit of being a  
former android's daughter." She straightened her posture and smiled,  
"Besides it's not as though you haven't made it painfully obvious that  
you hate the job."  
  
"You could try to be grateful," Goten stepped out from behind Marron.  
He spoke through the large bites he was taking out of a pimento  
sandwich he had stolen from an employee's desk. "You should get down  
on you knees and thank Dende for your blessings."  
  
Trunks motioned to the stack of papers on his desk, "Would you two  
like to share in my blessings? Not everyone has the luxury of free  
time, Marron." He gave Marron a pointed look.  
  
"Oh come off of it!" Marron's eyebrows furrowed and her mouth  
tightened, "I go to college. I have a job. It's not like I come and  
go as I please."  
  
"I come and go as I please, and I couldn't be happier." Goten grinned, a piece of pimento stuck between his two front teeth.  
  
Trunks grabbed a file and opened it, "Ignorance is bliss they say."  
He pushed his glasses further up his nose, and began inspecting the  
contents of the file, "What are you two doing here?"  
  
"We were going to ask you to come to lunch with us, but I've decided  
not to extend the offer." Her tone was flat as she walked towards  
Trunks's desk, sitting herself on the edge of it.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're being rude." Goten replied. "That's why."  
  
"I don't have time for lunch." Trunks shut his file, wheeled his chair to the filing cabinet, and stuck the file into its slot.  
  
"We figured as much." Marron said.  
  
Trunks frowned, "What did you mean by that?"  
  
"I didn't mean anything." Marron explained. "It's just that you're  
so busy lately that we never see you. Goten and I just thought it'd  
be worth a try."  
  
Marron's words made Trunks stomach uneasy. He looked at her, with her two blonde pig tails, blue t-shirt, and jeans. Trunks knew the expression in her large blue eyes; she was being dead serious.  
  
"Don't look at us like that Trunks. It's no big deal."  
  
"No, Goten. It is." Trunks at his two friends and then shoved  
himself away from the desk. "I don't have time to leave the office,  
but I don't see what it would hurt to take twenty minutes to just  
talk."  
  
"No food?" Goten asked  
  
Trunks shook his head, "We could order out, but I don't think it would get here in time."  
  
"What do you have to do in twenty minutes?" Marron asked, leaning towards Trunks.  
  
"A merger meeting, he said with a sigh. "It's this whole big deal,  
and Mom said she would stick me in the anti-gravitational room with  
Dad if I didn't land it."  
  
"Sorry, buddy. I couldn't stand doing what you do, but I think I'm  
going to go grab myself something to eat. My saiyan stomach isn't  
going to be happy if I don't." Goten said. "Hey Marron, are you  
going to come with?"  
  
"Nah. I think I'll keep Trunks company for a few minutes. I'll catch  
up with you later." She smiled at Goten, and he walked towards her  
and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"See ya'." Goten grinned and waved his hand like a child before  
walking out the door.  
  
"He's never going to change is he?"  
  
"I hope not." Marron grinned. "I think the world would be a better  
place if there were a whole lot more Gotens walking around. Now  
enough about Goten. How are you doing, Prez? Be truthful."  
  
"I'm okay."  
  
"We still have 18 minutes. You can do better than that."  
  
"I'm fine, Marron. I'm here from sunrise to sunset and I hate this  
job, but I'm good at it. I'm making tons of money, I'm the number one  
bachelor in the world, and I've got dates lined up for the next four  
days. I may not be sensational, but I think all of those reasons are  
enough to file my life under the whole concept of fine."  
  
Marron giggled, "Who is the lucky lady tonight?"  
  
"Kiara."  
  
"Is she the tall brunette with dreams of becoming the next  
supermodel?"  
  
"No. She's the tall redhead who wants to be an actress."  
  
"You're a walking billboard for diversity in dating, Trunks." Marron  
rolled her eyes. "She's easy isn't she?" Marron's eyes twinkled  
wickedly.  
  
"Gentlemen don't kiss and tell."  
  
"Prez, you hardly qualify as a gentleman. Just makes me glad that  
I've had the good sense not to fall in love with you. To think I  
could have been just one of the legions of women whose heart you've  
trampled all over."  
  
Trunks sighed, "They're money-diggers."  
  
"Not all of them could have been." Marron said.  
  
"Not all, but most. Just another perk of being insanely rich."  
Trunks sighed.  
  
Marron jumped off of the desk, and looked around the office for a  
chair. She found another office chair in the corner, walked over to  
it, wheeled it over to next to Trunks's chair, pulled herself into the  
chair, folded her feet underneath her, and set her wrist underneath  
her chin, and stared at Trunks. "The doctor is in. Tell me what in  
the world is wrong with you."  
  
"I'm just tired of being here."  
  
"In Sin City?"  
  
"No. Here at this job. I just want to go crazy sometimes, beat the  
crap out of something. Sometimes I wish some alien with incredible  
powers would come to Earth so I could leave here and go fight."  
  
"I understand."  
  
Trunks snorted, "How in the world could you understand?"  
  
"There's that saiyan pride. I thought you'd lost it for a minute."  
Trunks frowned at her, but she continued, "Seriously, Prez. Do you  
have any idea how jealous I was when you and Pan got to go on your  
Grand Tour?"  
  
"I hadn't really thought about it."  
  
"Of course you haven't. That would mean you would have to think about  
someone other than yourself, but that's entirely beside the point. I  
just wanted to let you know that I wanted to be able to do what you  
and Goten can do. You can do these amazing things because of who you  
are. I was just the half android that tailed along with all the super  
powered demi-saiyans."  
  
"I never knew you felt like that." Trunks moved his chair closer to  
Marron.  
  
"No, it's okay. It's just that I wanted to be powerful and do  
something important. I had to take my own path, something different  
than being able to blow up some monster or win a tournament."  
  
"So how are you going to wrap up this life lesson and make it apply to  
me?" He asked, his patience wearing thin.  
  
"All I'm saying is that maybe you need a vacation. Take your own path  
for a little while. Do something not because Bulma, Vegeta, or all  
the media thinks that's what you should do; do it because you want  
to."  
  
Trunks grunted, "Yeah, like that's going to happen. I'm the head of  
this corporation. I can't just up and leave."  
  
"Give me one good reason why?"  
  
Trunks grabbed a family photograph that sat on his desk and twisted it  
around for Marron to see, "You see that woman, my mother." He pointed  
to Bulma's smiling face, "She would throw a fit if I left even for a  
little while."  
  
"Her fits never stopped you from playing hooky," Marron said  
pointedly.  
  
"Playing hooky is different than taking an extended break. Mom gave  
this company to me, the very same company that my grandfather built  
from the ground up. I have to keep it going."  
  
Marron felt something melt inside of her with that look on his face  
and she rested her hand lightly on his, "I know how much you taking  
control of this company means to Bulma, but you're going to run  
yourself into the ground. I'm not telling you to resign, but I am  
saying that you should go a little easier on yourself. All you do is  
stay cooped up in this office." Marron smiled, glibly, "I think all  
the hours locked in this office are starting to make you go mad. You  
skipped lunch."  
  
Trunks smiled despite his foul mood, "Doesn't happen often does it?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. You and Goten practically eat me out of house and  
home whenever you come visit my apartment."  
  
"Be fair, Marron. I paid for your last grocery bill."  
  
Marron rolled her eyes, "You gentlemen are a dying breed aren't you?"  
  
"I do my best," Trunks answered in a haughty tone, playing along.  
  
"Well, remember that when you're on a date with the actress tonight.  
I don't care how little clothing she wears and how much she throws  
herself at you. Make sure you treat her like a lady."  
  
"I always do!"  
  
"Let me rephrase this." Marron talked slowly to Trunks as though  
speaking to a petulant child. "Imagine a guy takes Bra out on a date.  
Now if that guy did what you do to your women Vegeta would blast him  
from one side of the galaxy to the next. Treat this girl like Vegeta  
expects his little princess to be treated. And buy her flowers too.  
She deserves that much for putting up with you for a night."  
  
"I'll be a perfect gentleman," he responded. Marron snorted and put a  
hand to her mouth to keep from laughing. "Fine. I'll do my best  
impersonation of a gentleman."  
  
"That's better," she said while patting the top of his head, taunting  
him with a superior grin.  
  
"What about you and that one guy you're dating? What's his name?"  
  
"Why can't you remember his name? I've been dating Henry for a year  
now and you've met him many, many times! Remember we went out just a  
few weeks ago. It was Goten and Paris, you and that ice skater you  
dated for a few days, and me and Henry."  
  
"Sorry. How are you and Henry?"  
  
Marron frowned, "I don't know."  
  
"What do you mean you don't know?"  
  
"We had a fight," she answered, refusing to offer any more  
information.  
  
Trunks lifted his eyebrows, "About what?"  
  
"I don't want to get into it here, Trunks. It was just one of those  
long, over dramatic fights that all couples have, and as soon as Henry  
realizes that he's being an idiot then everything will be fine."  
  
"You're holding out on me. What aren't you telling me?"  
  
Marron looked at his expectant face. His arms were crossed, his eyes  
were leveled directly at her, and he was studying her facial  
expressions, hoping for a slip in Marron's stoic expression. She had  
always told him everything, well not so much lately, but before she  
had begun to make her big plans she had told him everything. He was  
her best friend, her confidant, and the member of the trio that had  
the best common sense. Sure that same common sense disappeared often,  
but when he used it, it was precise and always on target.  
  
"Isn't it time for your merger meeting?" Marron spat out quickly,  
trying to divert his attention and praying that he would go into  
frantic CEO of the company mode.  
  
Trunks checked his watch, "I still have one minute and forty seven  
seconds. Don't change the subject. What aren't you telling me?"  
  
"It's nothing important."  
  
"Marron," Trunks stood up and began to organize his files while still  
staring Marron, "what was the fight about?"  
  
Marron began to play with the hem of her t-shirt, "You know, it was  
one of those "you're not giving me enough space" arguments. And I  
told him I needed space, and he said that he thought that was stupid  
and that we don't see enough of each other as it is. And then I said  
that I really love him and I don't want to break up because we have a  
really cool thing and we're really comfortable with each other, but I  
just needed space. And of course he didn't understand because boys  
are terribly dense about this sort of thing. And from there it just  
exploded, and he was yelling, and then I was yelling. I think he  
called me some mean names and then I called him some meaner names.  
And I think he may have broken up with me, but I'm not sure. He  
finally said that he'd give me all the space I wanted and then he  
slammed the door. Do you think that means the he broke up with me?  
Well anyway, it was all very over the top and silly now that I look at  
it on reflection. I'm sure he'll call tomorrow and be terribly sorry  
and beg for me back and I think he should. He should bring me  
chocolates too. I think deserve them!" Marron finally stopped the  
rambling to get oxygen back into her lungs.  
  
Trunks tried to process all the information and pressed his glasses  
further up his nose, "Wow, sounds incredibly disturbing."  
  
"The fight?"  
  
"No, the way you told it." Trunks sighed, "You told me everything but  
what you needed to tell me. Spit it out, Marron. You've got  
something to say so just say it."  
  
Marron grabbed Trunks's hand and looked at the time on his watch,  
"Time's up. You've got to go to the meeting." She stood up quickly  
and left the chair she was sitting upon in her wake.  
  
Trunks grabbed his files and just before Marron was about to slither  
out the door he used his big President voice, "Marron Chesnut, spill  
it or I'm not going into the merger meeting. I'll blame it all on you  
and you can speak to Mom about why I didn't land this twenty million  
dollar deal."  
  
Marron spoke very quickly, "I applied for a scholarship to go study in  
Europe for a few years to finish up college there. I got accepted so  
when I meant space, I meant across the ocean." Immediately after  
Marron spoke the words she bolted from the office and then came ducked  
her head back in for one moment to yell goodbye before running from  
the office again.  
  
Trunks dropped the files he had been holding and sunk back into his  
chair.  
  
* * * * *  
  
There was a loud knock at Marron's apartment door. It was a pounding  
knock and it sounded like whoever was doing the knocking would have  
bruises on their hands for slamming their fist onto the wood so hard.  
  
Marron opened the door, "Henry?" She asked before she saw who was at  
the door, hoping it would be her boyfriend standing there with  
chocolates and roses.  
  
"Nope." Trunks stood at the door with an angry expression on his  
face.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be seducing the actress right about now?"  
  
"Cancelled." His eyes were narrowed into slits and he crossed his  
arms. "Do you think you could invite me in?"  
  
"You just up and cancelled. See, that is why I always lecture you  
about how you treat woman." She scolded him right in the doorway,  
crossed her arms, and mimicked the sour expression on Trunks' face.  
  
"I sent her flowers and an apology, but I'm not here for a lecture."  
  
Marron sighed, "Come on in, but no yelling and mean accusations. I  
got enough of those from Henry to last several weeks."  
  
Trunks brushed past her and plopped down on her couch. Marron sat at  
the opposite end, and waited for the tirade that she was positive  
would come.  
  
"You said you got a scholarship to study in Europe?"  
  
"Yep." Marron curled her legs underneath her and tried to get  
comfortable. She had a suspicion that his might take a while.  
  
"And you've accepted?" Marron nodded her head. "And you didn't  
bother to tell me that you were just going to take off?" Marron eyes  
widened guiltily and a sheepish expression crossed her face, but she  
nodded again. "And you weren't planning on telling me?"  
  
Marron shook her heard, "I was going to tell you when I was ready."  
  
"Well when was that going to be?" he snapped.  
  
"I don't know. I didn't write it in a scheduling book. I would've  
told you at least a week before I left."  
  
"So when are you leaving?"  
  
"A week and two days."  
  
A vein in Trunks' forehead popped out and began to pulsate, "Who have  
you told?"  
  
"Well, Mom and Dad of course, my uncle, Goten, Paris, Pan, Gohan and  
Videl, Goku and Chi-Chi, and I think I told Bra yesterday."  
  
"You told everyone but me?" The vein began to flit wildly.  
  
"Well, look at how you're reacting. I knew you'd get all big brother  
on me."  
  
Trunks looked almost ashamed and lowered his head, "Why didn't you  
tell me?"  
  
"It was something that I needed to do on my own. I knew that if I  
told you ahead of time that you'd make all this elaborate plans like  
getting me rooms at five star hotels and flying me over you a private  
jet. This had to be something I did for myself. You know, my own  
path."  
  
"So when you were talking about me taking a vacation you were really  
talking about yourself?"  
  
"No. I stand by what I said today. I was just speaking from personal  
experience."  
  
"And this is something you're determined to do?"  
  
Marron smiled, "Yeah. I don't think I've ever wanted something so bad  
before. I'm going to be completely independent. I need my own Grand  
Tour and my own adventures."  
  
"How long will you be gone? A few months."  
  
"Two years."  
  
"You'll be coming home for holidays right?" Trunks reached out and  
took Marron's hand in his own.  
  
"I'll try, but the program I'm going into is really intense. I don't  
know if I'll have time, but we can always write letters and send e-  
mails or you can have your secretary type them up for you and pretend  
they're from you." She giggled.  
  
Trunks couldn't help but smile, "Where are you going to be staying?"  
  
"I know I'll be in London for the first semester, and think I think  
I'll be in Rome, Paris, and Dublin for a while."  
  
"A friend of mine lives in Paris. He could hook you up with a nice  
apartment while you are there and he works for the company so he'd be  
happy to do anything I asked. You just ask and he'll do it."  
  
Marron scowled, "On my own. Remember?"  
  
"Fine, fine." Trunks sighed and scooted closer. "You're one of my  
best friends, Marron. I'm going to miss you like crazy."  
  
"I'll miss you too, Prez. What are you going to do without me here to  
keep you grounded?" Marron's tone dipped low and was playful.  
  
"I will be able to do without your lectures," he grinned.  
  
"Oh, I'm leaving next Friday. You'll be at the airport to see me off  
won't you?" Trunks watched the hope spring into her eyes.  
  
"I have another huge meeting on that Friday."  
  
"Oh come on, Trunks. I'm leaving for two years. Can't you rearrange  
your schedule just once?"  
  
Trunks smiled, "I'll see what I can do. I promise."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Marron looked around the airport terminal, but did not see a lavender  
head among the crowd of people moving around the terminal in a rush.  
The smiling faces of her parent, Chi-Chi and Goten, Gohan and Videl,  
Bra and Pan, Bulma, and the scowl of Vegeta all comforted her, but  
still gave her a pang of sadness. To leave all of these people that  
she knew and loved.  
  
Her mother kissed her cheek and her Krillin was near tears. "My baby  
is leaving," he sobbed.  
  
There were hugs from all and Goten took her hands and squeezed them  
warmly, "Don't stay away too long, Marron. I don't like losing a best  
friend."  
  
"You're not losing me," she smiled. "I'm just leaving for a little  
while. I'll be back soon."  
  
"I'm going to hold you to that." Goten placed his hand on her face  
and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "I guess this means we're all  
grown up now."  
  
"Maybe outside, but not on the inside. You, me, and Trunks are still  
the same little kids that tried to pull all those stupid pranks on  
Vegeta."  
  
Goten frowned, "I'm sorry Trunks isn't here."  
  
"It's okay." She tried to wave her hand dismissively, but Goten knew  
how much Trunks' absence upset her. "I'm sure he tried."  
  
Goten grinned and watched her wave good-bye to the crowd that stood  
around to see her off. She looked just the same as she had when she  
was small, with her hair in those familiar long blonde pigtails, but  
she was not small and she was leaving them.  
  
Krillin broke down into hysterics when Marron was no longer in sight,  
and slowly the group began to dissipate and leave the airport. Goten  
had reached the exit when he saw Trunks running into the airport, his  
tie loose and his jacket hanging off of his shoulder.  
  
"Trunks!" Goten screamed over the crowd, trying to get Trunks'  
attention.  
  
Trunks turned his head, spotted Goten, and ran towards him, "Where's  
Marron?"  
  
"You're late. Her airplane is taking off now." Goten frowned. "Why  
weren't you here?"  
  
"I moved the meeting up, but this woman just kept blabbering and I  
couldn't get out of there. I thought I still had enough time to make  
it." Trunks' eyes looked wild and very upset.  
  
"She knows you tried," Goten patted his shoulder.  
  
"That's not good enough. I promised her I'd be here." Trunks ran out  
the door and without even bothering to find a secluded spot, he took  
off flying. He could hear Goten screaming after him, but he did not  
care. He flew over the airport and luckily saw only one plane that  
was now rising in altitude. He took off full speed towards it.  
  
He waited until the plain had leveled and then flew next to it and  
began looking in each of the windows. He recalled Marron telling him  
that she hated to fly if she could not have a window seat and was  
willing to bank that she was sitting next to one. He checked several  
windows before he spotted some blonde pigtails. He zoomed down to the  
window and knocked on it. She did not turn at first, but he then  
began banging on it with his fist and screaming her name.  
  
Marron turned and saw Trunks in her window and screamed. The person  
sitting next to her jumped and frowned. "Sorry, I thought I saw a  
bug," she apologized hastily and then turned back to the window.  
"What are you doing?" she mouthed.  
  
Trunks looked at her sorrowfully, "Bye." He mouthed the word to her.  
  
A golden smile crossed Marron's face, "Bye, Trunks."  
  
Trunks dropped back from the window, his hand waving. The plane flew  
on towards, and Trunks just stayed still in the air. He continued  
waving good-bye until the plane was out of sight.  
  
Marron grinned watching his figure become smaller and smaller, "He  
kept his promise." She hugged herself and smiled, thinking about how  
the world was now at her fingertips, but still keenly aware of all she  
was leaving behind. 


End file.
